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Father, son face charges for allegedly selling body parts on the black market

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Updated: 7:22 PM EDT Apr 10, 2019

Federal charges were filed this week against a Chicago father and son for allegedly selling body parts on the black market from people who thought they were donating to science.The father-son duo also allegedly sold the body parts knowing they were diseased, but without disclosing that to the buyers.Bodies known to have HIV, sepsis and hepatitis were kept on ice before being sold.Some of the bodies were sold for $100,000.The company Donald Greene Sr. and Donald Greene II ran was called Biological Resource Center of Illinois.In a search warrant, a mother was told her son's tissues would be donated to colleges and research centers, but parts of her son's body were sold for $5,000.United States attorneys repeatedly call the actions by the Greenes a scheme "to defraud customers of the Biological Resource Center of Illinois."It is not illegal to sell or dismember body parts, but it is illegal to knowingly sell remains that are known to have infectious diseases.The Greenes are accused of running the operation from 2008 to 2014.Donald Greene Sr. is charged with wire fraud. Donald Greene II is charged with intentionally concealing a crime.

CHICAGO [video from WBBM-TV via CNN] —

Federal charges were filed this week against a Chicago father and son for allegedly selling body parts on the black market from people who thought they were donating to science.

The father-son duo also allegedly sold the body parts knowing they were diseased, but without disclosing that to the buyers.

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Bodies known to have HIV, sepsis and hepatitis were kept on ice before being sold.

Some of the bodies were sold for $100,000.

The company Donald Greene Sr. and Donald Greene II ran was called Biological Resource Center of Illinois.

In a search warrant, a mother was told her son's tissues would be donated to colleges and research centers, but parts of her son's body were sold for $5,000.

United States attorneys repeatedly call the actions by the Greenes a scheme "to defraud customers of the Biological Resource Center of Illinois."

It is not illegal to sell or dismember body parts, but it is illegal to knowingly sell remains that are known to have infectious diseases.